Heidi Norton
Prince Matchabelli was a perfume house founded in 1926 by Prince Georges V. Matchabelli, a Georgian prince and amateur chemist, and his wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli, an Italian actress. The brand became known for its romantic, pretty, and feminine fragrances, with Beloved, a green-floral scent launched in 1950, being one of its most popular offerings. While the full list of ingredients in Beloved is not publicly available, it is known that Matchabelli used expensive and rare ingredients in his perfumes, including various essential oils, resins, and alcohols, sourced from around the world. These ingredients were carefully blended and balanced to create exclusive and high-quality fragrances. While it is possible that synthetic oils were used in the creation of Beloved, there is no definitive evidence to confirm or deny their presence in the formula.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Launch | 1950 |
| Fragrance | Mediterranean floral bouquet with an exotic touch of the orient, sultry oils of ylang-ylang, patchouli, sandalwood, and heady musk |
| Top Notes | Orange, Calabrian Bergamot, Neroli |
| Heart Notes | Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose, Honeysuckle |
| Base Notes | Chamomile, Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood, Tibetan Musk, Vanilla, Abyssinian Ambergris, Tobacco, Abyssinian Civet |
| Perfumer's Background | Amateur chemist |
| Perfumer's Vision | A fragrance should reflect a woman's mood as much as it complements her attire |
| Production | Discontinued |
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What You'll Learn
Beloved's ingredients and their sources
Beloved by Prince Matchabelli is a green-floral perfume for women with top notes of orange, Calabrian bergamot, and neroli. The heart notes of the fragrance include ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, rose, and honeysuckle. The base notes are warm and enticing, with chamomile, patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Tibetan musk, vanilla, Abyssinian ambergris, tobacco, and Abyssinian civet.
The fragrance is described as warm, cosy, sweet, and spicy, with a musky soft floral and very subtle patchouli dry-down. The notes are well-blended, creating a deep warmth in the fragrance, likely from the civet and musk. The perfume is said to be very long-lasting, with good projection.
The ingredients and their sources for Beloved are unknown beyond the list of notes. However, it is speculated that the base includes real Mysore sandalwood, contributing to its warm and seductive character.
Beloved was first launched in 1942, with a later Cologne Parfumee formulation released in 1950. The original production was likely discontinued, and the fragrance is now sought-after by collectors of vintage perfume bottles.
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The scent's character and composition
While I cannot confirm whether or not Prince Matchabelli's Beloved perfume contains synthetic oils, I can provide an overview of its scent character and composition.
Beloved by Prince Matchabelli is a green-floral fragrance for women, first launched in 1950. The perfume house of Prince Matchabelli was founded in 1926 by Prince Georges V. Matchabelli, an amateur chemist, and his wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli, an actress. The brand became known for its romantic, pretty, and feminine fragrances, as well as its colour-coded, crown-shaped bottles.
Beloved's top notes include orange, Calabrian bergamot, and neroli. The heart notes consist of ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, rose, and honeysuckle. In the base, you'll find a warm and enticing blend of chamomile, patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Tibetan musk, vanilla, Abyssinian ambergris, tobacco, and Abyssinian civet. The scent is described as warm, romantic, and seductive, with no one note dominating but a deep warmth lent by the civet and musk.
The perfume house of Prince Matchabelli was renowned for its use of rare and expensive ingredients, which contributed to the exclusivity and quality of their perfumes. For example, Calabrian bergamot oil, a prized citrus oil from southern Italy, brings a fresh and uplifting note to the fragrance. Other ingredients like resins (labdanum and myrrh) and East Indian vetiver add depth and complexity to the scent.
The brand's approach to perfume was rooted in the belief that a fragrance should reflect a woman's mood and complement her attire. Prince Matchabelli introduced a range of luxury products beyond traditional scents, including bath oils, toilet waters, colognes, lipsticks, and compacts.
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The history of the perfume house
Prince Matchabelli, a Georgian prince and ambassador to Italy, fled to the United States after the Russian Revolution. In 1926, he and his wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli (an Italian actress), founded the Prince Matchabelli Perfume Company in New York City. The prince was an amateur chemist, and his perfumes were personally blended for clients. The first three perfumes were Princess Norina, Queen of Georgia, and Ave Maria—the latter two inspired by and dedicated to his wife.
Matchabelli's perfumes were known for their romantic, pretty, and feminine qualities. The company became famous for its colour-coded, crown-shaped bottles, designed by Norina after the Matchabelli crown and introduced in 1928. The labels were designed by another Georgian, George Coby, and placed on the underside of the bottles.
In 1936, a year after Prince Matchabelli's death, Princess Norina sold the company to perfume manufacturer Saul Ganz for $250,000. The company changed hands several times after this, being sold to Vicks Chemical Company in 1941, then to the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company, and finally to Anglo-Dutch company Unilever in 1987, which still owns the brand today.
The earliest edition of a Prince Matchabelli perfume was created in 1931, and the newest is from 2002. Beloved, one of the brand's most well-known fragrances, was released in 1942 and is described as a warm, romantic, and seductive green-floral scent.
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The brand's ethos and product range
Prince Matchabelli is a perfume house founded in 1926 by Prince Georges Matchabelli of Georgia and his wife, Italian actress Norina Gilli. The brand's ethos reflects its aristocratic origins, with an emphasis on luxury, sophistication, craftsmanship, and exclusivity.
The couple first opened an antique shop, "Le Rouge et Noir," on Madison Avenue in New York City in 1924, which became a gathering place for the city's social elite. Two years later, they launched the Prince Matchabelli perfume house, with its first two perfumes, Princess Norina and Ave Maria, inspired by and dedicated to Norina. Georges' aristocratic charm, combined with his expertise in chemistry, established the brand's reputation for creating luxurious and sophisticated fragrances.
Over the years, the brand expanded its offerings beyond perfumes to include a comprehensive range of beauty and fragrance products, such as soaps, Abano bath oils, lipsticks, eyeshadows, mascaras, face powders, rouges, and scented sachets. Princess Norina continued to play a significant role in the company, even after Georges' death in 1935, when she sold the company to perfume manufacturer Saul Ganz.
The brand changed hands several times, reflecting its enduring appeal and prestige. Princess Tamara Anatolivna Kropotkin, employed by the company in 1938, embodied the brand's commitment to craftsmanship and exclusivity through her meticulous hand-sewn sachets. Paul Petrovitch Wrangell, Baron von Ludenhoff, who served as the personal representative of Prince Matchabelli, also contributed to the brand's success with his deep understanding of cosmetics and aristocratic heritage.
The Prince Matchabelli perfume house continues to thrive, with a range of fragrances that embody the elegance and innovation that have become synonymous with the brand. Beloved, launched in 1942, is a well-known example of the brand's romantic, warm, and feminine fragrances. With its green-floral scent and expertly blended notes, Beloved showcases the brand's attention to detail and quality.
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The perfume's advertising and packaging
Prince Matchabelli, the founder of the perfume house of the same name, was a Georgian prince and ambassador to Italy before the Russian Revolution. He fled to the United States after the revolution and, in 1926, he and his wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli, opened a small antiques shop in New York City. They soon began creating perfumes, with Princess Matchabelli designing the colour-coded, crown-shaped bottles introduced in 1928. The company's early employees, who were mostly from the Russian aristocracy, oversaw the intricate process of decorating, packing, and delivering the delicate bottles of perfume.
The brand's advertising has been described as romantic, with memorable tunes and visuals to match the fragrances. Their best-known fragrance, Wind Song, is said to have an unforgettable theme song.
The perfume itself was packaged in a clear, femininely curved glass bottle with a gold-coloured screw-on cap. The bottle's shape evokes a heart, a woman's shoulders, and her voluptuous bosom, reflecting the warm, feminine, and seductive nature of the fragrance.
The brand's approach to perfume was rooted in the belief that a fragrance should reflect a woman's mood and complement her attire. Prince Matchabelli introduced a range of luxury products, including bath oils, toilet waters, colognes, lipsticks, and compacts, elevating the everyday experience of personal care.
The ingredients used in the perfumes were expensive and difficult to obtain, making the final product a luxury commodity. The use of rare and exotic scents, such as Tyrolean oakmoss from the Austrian Alps and Calabrian bergamot oil from southern Italy, underscored the exclusivity and quality of the perfumes, making them highly sought-after.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear whether or not Prince Matchabelli Beloved perfume contains synthetic oils, as the ingredients are not readily available. However, it does contain sultry oils of ylang-ylang, patchouli, sandalwood, and musk.
The top notes of Beloved are orange, Calabrian bergamot, and neroli. The heart notes are ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, rose, and honeysuckle. The base notes are chamomile, patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, Tibetan musk, vanilla, Abyssinian ambergris, tobacco, and Abyssinian civet.
Prince Matchabelli Beloved perfume was launched in 1950.
The perfume house of Prince Matchabelli was founded in 1926 by Prince Georges V. Matchabelli and his wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli, an Italian actress.
Prince Matchabelli Beloved is a green-floral fragrance with a warm, romantic, and seductive scent.
